Varsity Don Applauds CDS Over Onslaught Against Bandits

A security expert and an associate professor at the Kwararafa University in Wukari in Taraba State, Dr Nasir Alkali, has commended the chief of defence staff, General Lucky Irabor, for coordinating the Armed Forces’ operations in the country.

Alkali, who addressed journalists in Abuja on the state of security in the country, said the CDS had displayed a grasp of issues concerning security in the country.

According to him, he has watched the Armed Forces’ renewed efforts in handling the country’s security issues closely, and observed that the Armed Forces have recently engaged in joint operations, which has yielded tangible results.

“This is unlike in times past when leadership was missing in the Armed Forces operations. This affected the operational effectiveness of the security agencies in tackling the security threats in the country,” he said.

The associate professor cited the example of banditry and how the security agencies missed the opportunity in the past to nip the threat in the bud due to lack of collaboration.

“The issue of banditry ought to have been dealt with long ago. But again, we are aware of the situation where the security agencies acted in isolation with no collaboration. Its operations were politicized, allowing the bandits to advance and gather momentum.”

“I recall that I made mention of the need for collaboration between the Armed Forces and that the Chief of Defence Staff as the head of the Armed Forces is expected to drive this initiative towards achieving results.

“That did not happen in the previous era. However, I am glad that General Irabor took the initiative by rejigging the Armed Forces operations with an emphasis on collaboration. This is indeed the game changer,” he said.

He also stated that recent events regarding how the Armed Forces operations have been coordinated and the various security threats in the country would soon be a thing of the past.

“We can see progress with the efforts of the Armed Forces in addressing the security challenges in the country. It is indeed common sense to state that two heads are better than one.

“This is exactly what is happening in the operations of the Armed Forces. There is synergy, there is cooperation, and there is a result. We must commend the chief of defence staff for this,” he said.